


The Wedding Ring

by the_7_percent_solution



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Disguise, Divorce, Fluff, Happy Ending, It's For a Case, Johnlock Roulette, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Mary is Not Nice, Mutual Pining, Not Canon Compliant, POV John Watson, POV Third Person, Post-Season/Series 03, Requited Love, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 01:30:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7665067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_7_percent_solution/pseuds/the_7_percent_solution
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The six months after John said goodbye to Sherlock on the tarmac were torturous.  After all hope was lost, John received a promising text.  The game is never over, after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wedding Ring

John’s eyes focus on the uneven ceiling above him. He can’t sleep in his bed, not after all that has happened. Mary moved out over a month ago and left him alone to dwell on his current state of affairs. He can hear the ticking of the clock on the wall mocking his attempt at a good night’s rest. John is alone in his flat, the one he shared with Mary. Thoughts of her are not what keep John from calming down - quite the contrary. Instead he is replaying the events of the year, somehow figuring they would lull him to sleep. 

Saying goodbye to Sherlock on the tarmac was a nightmare. Ever the brave soldier, John kept a strong face and said farewell in his own way. The plane took off and John knew he’d never see Sherlock again. Mycroft led them to the car and explained the scenario: undercover work in eastern Europe, fatal within six months. John’s eyes brimmed with tears as the car drove home; Mary could hardly keep from smiling. The baby came within the month and John fell into the role of doting father. Something didn’t seem right, though, and nothing John could do would shake his uneasiness with his new family. 180 days after saying goodbye on the Tarmac, John fell to pieces. He saved face in front of Mary but spent a lot of time out of the house, seeking answers within himself. His other half was gone; Mycroft was never wrong. Apathy seeped into every aspect of John’s life. He didn’t even flinch when Mary announced she was leaving him for another man, or that the other man was likely the father to her child. “Good riddance,” John thought. “Alone is what I have, alone protects me.” 

John was desperately hurt even though he pretended to hold strong. That baby was the only light in his life and now even she was gone. But two weeks ago he received a text that made his stomach flip. 

“I’m not dead. Let’s have dinner. SH” 

He met Sherlock for dinner and hoped he’d offer to let John move back to Baker Street but, sadly, he did not offer. Sherlock was involved in a spectacular case and he recruited John to play a role. However, this role required John to believe Sherlock to be dead, to continue to be the aloof husband. John saw this as an opportunity to prove he could be trusted with a matter such as this, contrary to what Sherlock believed when he jumped all those years ago. John was satisfied with finally securing Sherlock’s trust but he hated having to pretend to be a happy, loving husband living in his old flat. Sherlock instructed John where to go, who to talk to, and how to dress. One important detail was for John to always wear his wedding ring. John hated doing so, but he would willingly follow Sherlock’s advice to the ends of the earth. He hoped the case would resolve soon, that Culverton Smith would slip up and incriminate himself. Businessmen were dying left and right, the only unifying factor being shared airtime on Smith’s reality show. Sherlock was hot on the trail and John had to be an unassuming businessman looking to appear on the show. John wasn’t allowed to see Sherlock, though, that was part of the deal. He had to stay far from him, in case of surveillance. But John yearned to be at Baker Street, just the two of them against the rest of the world. 

Sunlight begins to peek through the window in John’s bedroom. He hasn’t slept a wink. Without a moment to lose he pops into the shower for what he hopes is the last day of this baffling case. “Sherlock must be getting somewhere,” John sighs. “I can’t take this charade much longer.”

John gets exactly what he wished for. This night ends with a dramatic chase through London’s business district and Culverton Smith diving head first into the Thames. Sherlock gets on his mobile and instructs Lestrade as to where to find Smith and the poison used on the six businessmen. Laughing and out of breath, John and Sherlock can’t help but smile at each other. The air is thick between them. John’s left hand clenches and he’s suddenly reminded of a very heavy weight shackling his finger. He slides the ring off, grips it in the palm of his hand, and throws it mercilessly into the dark, murky river. Panting, he turns back to Sherlock, eyes pleading.

“Take me home. Please, Sherlock. Just. Take me home.”

Sherlock doesn’t waste a single second. He grabs John by the hand and begins to power-walk down the street. John struggles to keep up the walking pace so he breaks into a slight jog. Sherlock, feeling the slack in their arms, picks up his speed, too, and is suddenly sprinting through the streets. John is right by his side for every second, his fingers laced with Sherlock’s. They reach Baker Street and rest against the wall at the bottom of the stairs.

“Now THAT was the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever done.”

Sherlock cannot stop smiling. Between his panting breath and rumbling laughter he turns to John, takes his face in both hands, and presses his smile against John’s lips. John can’t help but smile through the kiss, too, letting their foreheads meet, eyes staying closed and lips parting into unbearable grins. Sherlock kisses John over and over again, pausing briefly to revel in his overwhelming happiness. In this moment, everything is perfect. And for the first time in four years, John Watson feels like he’s come home.


End file.
